INTERPOL Washington

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INTERPOL Washington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 5, 2013

ICE deports man wanted for kidnapping and murder in El Salvador

WASHINGTON - A Salvadoran national, who was previously removed from the United States and who is wanted in his native country for homicide, aggravated kidnapping and robbery, was turned over to authorities in El Salvador Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Melvin Noe Lazo-Sanchez aka Melvin Noe Sanchez-Izaguirre, 34, a citizen of El Salvador and Honduras, was flown to El Salvador July 5 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE's Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, the suspect was turned over to officials from the El Salvadoran Civilian National Police (PNC).

“Mr. Lazo has been deported to El Salvador where he will now face a criminal court to answer to his charges, thanks to a dedicated group of deportation officers and ICE attorneys who serve to protect our communities here in Virginia,” said M. Yvonne Evans, field office director for ERO Washington. “Because of our far reaching impact, our officers maintain a global vision and are proud when justice is served, no matter where in the world.”

Lazo-Sanchez was arrested March 15 outside his residence in Manassas, Va., by officers of ERO Washington's fugitive operations team. An ERO officer assigned to INTERPOL Washington notified the team of an active Red Notice on Sanchez by law enforcement in San Salvador.

Sanchez illegally re-entered the United States after ICE removed him to Honduras in June 2012. He evaded extradition from Honduras to El Salvador when he was removed in 2012 because the last name he used on his Honduran identity differed from his El Salvadorian identity. Sanchez was ordered removed from the United States to Honduras or El Salvador by an immigration judge May 2.

The deportation of fugitive Melvin Lazo-Sanchez is another example of expanded bi-national cooperation to identify, arrest and repatriate Salvadoran criminal suspects who have fled to the United States to avoid prosecution. ICE officers are working closely with the PNC, the Salvadoran National INTERPOL Office and Salvadoran Immigration as part of this effort. In the first nine months of fiscal year 2013, the PNC executed more than 101 criminal arrest warrants with fugitives being returned to El Salvador aboard IAO removal flights. Many of those arrests involved homicide-related charges or other violent crimes.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 640 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with the Office of International Affairs for ICE's Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) foreign consular offices in the United States and INTERPOL to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.

This removal was coordinated with HSI El Salvador, ICE's Office of Chief Counsel in Arlington, the Consulate of El Salvador and INTERPOL Washington.